President Donald Trump declared Tuesday evening that the United States will strike Iran's Mount Machush nuclear facility 'very soon' and 'with force,' according to Israeli media reports. The threat escalates a week-long war of words over the site, which Israel says hosts thousands of centrifuges.
President Donald Trump declared Tuesday evening that the United States will strike Iran's Mount Machush nuclear facility 'very soon' and 'with force,' according to Israeli media reports. The statement, reported after 20:00 Jerusalem, marks the latest escalation in a rapid sequence of threats that began earlier in the evening. It follows a series of near-simultaneous warnings in which Trump repeatedly vowed to attack the site, culminating in the newly explicit language of 'with force.'
In a rapid succession of statements all published at 18:40 Jerusalem, the president first threatened to strike after a CNN report on enriched uranium storage at the site, then asserted Iran cannot stop the operation, pledged to attack during a White House meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, and made several additional escalating remarks including claims that Iran 'hasn't seen anything yet' and that the US is 'not done' with Tehran. The Zioneer reported earlier Tuesday at 08:04 Jerusalem that Israeli intelligence assesses Iran had transferred thousands of centrifuges to the hardened underground facility, a development that set the stage for the confrontation.
As The Zioneer has reported, the Mount Machush thread has been building for over a week. On July 14, Trump described the site as a possible target for a 'big, fat and beautiful' attack, and an Iranian official warned CNN that US troops and allies would pay a price for any strike. The Iranian threat has not been repeated publicly in response to the latest statements.
What remains open: The timing of any potential strike remains unconfirmed, and Iran has not issued a direct response to the latest declaration. The underlying intelligence on centrifuge transfers has not been independently verified, and the specific operational intent behind Trump's rhetoric is unclear. The Zioneer continues to track developments.
11 developments
- DevelopingTrump escalates Mount Makosh threat: 'We will reach the site, tell Iran to prepare'
- DevelopingTrump: Mount Makosh a possible target for 'big, fat and beautiful' attack
- StrongIranian official warns US troops, allies will pay price for Mount Makosh strike, tells CNN
- DevelopingTrump says US will strike Iran 'very hard' tonight, tomorrow, and the night after
Source and signal
- Internal intake